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KIT TAYLOR ("Jim Hawkins") with MISS CONNIE GILCHRIST ("Purity Tinker"), English actor, MR. GEOFFREY TOONE and American actress, MISS EVIE HAYES, at the world premiere of "Long John Silver" last night.

FILM STAR CALLED, "WHERE'S

MUM?" IN THEATRE SCRAMBLE

Director Byron Haskin lost his wife, boy star Kit Taylor lost his mother, dozens of parties were separated in the scramble at the world Premiere of made-in-Australia "Long John Silver" last night.

The scramble began outside the Plaza Theatre an hour be- fore the programme did at 8

o'clock.

Inside the brilliantly-lit foyer, wit¡h a solid block of

cameras and cameramen at

one end, "armies" of men, women, and children, ranks five deep, flanked the aisle half-an-hour before the stars were due to walk along it.

Suddenly six Sydney models wearing acid green shirts, black skirts, and pirate jack- boots, flashing gold tinselled cutlasses, crashed the crowd to line up on each side of. the aisle-to make a guard-of honour with their weapons for the arrival of the people who really mattered.

Before the red carpet was laid, William Constable-who did all the sets for the film and his wife arrived. They were button-holed by a radio- man and autograph-hunters.

While Miss Gloria Payten, a slim young woman who did the casting for the film was "saying a few words" into the mike, word got around that Robert Newton was outside. Then the crowd broke ranks.

PIRATE ARCHWAY

Somehow the pirates man- aged to cross their cutlasses in a straggly archway, camera- men trampled through the crowd, more and more bulbs popped, and Long John Sil- ver himself-but with only the side-burns left of his "whis-

kers"-was up the stairs.

The whiskers had come off

just for the premiere, that very day, explained blonde Mrs. Newton, cut off from her hus- band by the crowd. She wore a Don Loper Hollywood gown of oyster pink, and carried a Breath-of-spring mink ("the colour," she said).

Then came the Haskins. "My wife was with me a moment ago ..." said the director.

Mrs. Haskin, located in the crowd, was wearing an Aus- tralian-made short evening gown of grey satin with a shocking-pink lined stole.

Then Byron Haskin found Connie Gilchrist-and kissed her. Geoffrey Toone, who plays the British medico in Carol Reed's film, "The Man Between," said, ''I'm in Aus- tralia just beach-combing. The first holiday I've had in four year. I'm having a simply wonderful time."

By then the programme had started-with the news-and Kit Taylor who'd been busy

signing autograph books, pos- ing for photographs, and staying with his understudy, Tony Hartigan, walked into the theatre, saying in an aggrieved, un-star-like voice,

"Where's mum?"

When the premiere was over, and the public had seen the stars on and off the screen, Mr. and Mrs. Haskin enter- tained at their home in Vau

MR. and MRS. ROBERT '. NEWTON arrivina at the Plaza theatre last night for the world pre- miere of "Long John

Silver."

cluse 90 people-Sydney friends as well as film friends.

The rain had drowned the wicks of the 6-foot tall Hawaiian torches-their stems dusted in gold-that were to be the "finishing touch" to the decorations in the lawn, and the tables and the orchestra had to move indoors.

Guests served themselves at

a huge dining table lit by a chandelier, hidden in Christ- mas balls, tinsel, and flowers. Flickering candle-light came from the four gold-dusted candles that made a coronet for a bust of Venus, white painted, with red Christmas balls as earrings, perched on the mantelpiece.

More candles, more Christ- mas balls, and white painted Christmas trees-tiny replicas of the gigantic white-sprayed fir in the centre of the lawn decorated all six of the party